Gonzaga Professor Sara Arpin Discusses Impact of Social Relationships on Health Feb 28
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
SPOKANE, Wash. – Sarah Arpin, Gonzaga University assistant professor of psychology, will discuss “Better Relationships for Better Health” in a free, public lecture at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the McCarthey Athletic Center’s Herak Club Room. The lecture is presented by the Greater Gonzaga Guild.
Arpin was a research assistant on a project studying military couples and relationship health during her graduate studies in applied social psychology at Portland State University. Arpin assisted in the design and implementation of the Daily Family Study (director: Professor Cynthia Mohr, Portland State University), a part of the five-year study for the Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (principal investigator: Professor Leslie Hammer, Oregon Health & Science University).
The research concludes that people who share good news with a supportive and receptive partner sleep better, and experience less loneliness and increased intimacy. This is likely to relate to improved health overall, Arpin said.
“Your perception of how responsive a romantic partner is really makes a difference in relationships,” she said.
Read more about the study and view a video interview with Arpin.
Arpin’s research generally explores the impact of social relationships on health and well-being, and how a perceived lack of social connectedness influences daily life, including health behaviors, social interactions and decision-making.
In addition to sharing details of the study, Arpin will discuss insights from the research relating to loneliness, intimacy and overall health in relationships.
The meeting starts with social time at 10 a.m., followed by the lecture and Q&A from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Parking is free in the lot immediately south of McCarthey Athletic Center (801 N. Cincinnati St.).
The Greater Gonzaga Guild lecture series is dedicated to raising awareness of Gonzaga’s scholarly and cultural contributions to the region. The Guild is open to all people interested in learning. For more information, contact Mary Joan Hahn at (509) 313-6095 or hahn@gonzaga.edu.
